$28M Industry, Fishers Say They are Shut Out of Decisions
A new audit of Belize’s fishing industry has found that while the country has one of the strongest legal frameworks for sustainable fisheries in the region, critical gaps in data, transparency, and fisher representation are putting coastal communities at serious risk.
The Belize Fisher’s Audit 2025, conducted by Ocean Outcomes as a follow-up to its inaugural 2021 report, evaluated the country’s fisheries management across 29 indicators, including policy, stock health, and socio-economic impact. The report praises the Fisheries Resources Act of 2020 as a robust model for environmental sustainability but warns that turning those laws into practice remains a work in progress.
A central concern is the lack of systematic catch and landing data across most species. Without consistent reporting, authorities cannot effectively monitor fish stocks, set harvest limits, or keep the public informed, even as some key species already show signs of overexploitation.
The stakes are significant, especially when the fishing industry injects roughly $28 million BZ annually into the Belizean economy, directly employing over 3,300 people and supporting up to 20,000 jobs in coastal communities.
But it is the issue of fisher representation that drew some of the sharpest criticism at today’s unveiling. During a panel of speakers, Jorge Aldana, president of the San Pedro Fisher Folk Association, said fishers have been effectively frozen out of the decisions that shape their livelihoods.
“Fishermen have limited space in the decision-making process. In the national council, where fishermen are represented, we only have two representations, hand-picked representations. It doesn’t come from real fishermen. These are hand-picked people, hand-picked by ministers or policymakers,” Aldana said. “We the fishermen, from the 22 associations, need to have an active role, play an active role in who we select to represent us and voice the concerns of fishers.”
The audit recommends urgently improving management transparency, providing fishers with access to concessionary financing, and meaningfully including local voices in fast-approaching stock rebuilding decisions.